While most of the talk around the movie is about its raunchy nature, MacFarlane said the film has more to it.

“I think the ‘oh my, well I never’ narrative is a popular one in the press right now and I think when you put that aside and get that out of your system, it is a movie that does have an actual story,” he said at the film’s premiere on Wednesday.

“There is an actual set of stakes for Ted and hopefully that will come through in the viewing of it.”

He said the film was relevant today as it dealt with acceptance and discrimination issues.

Mark Wahlberg, who reprises the role of John, said he did his due diligence before he got involved in the first film, which went on to gross around $550 million worldwide.

“It’s the kind of thing where there is no good way to pitch this movie. A guy with a talking teddy bear ... I didn’t like the idea when I first heard it,” he said.

“It wasn’t until I reluctantly read the script, then met with Seth, and then saw the test with the bear that I knew it would be something special.”

“Ted 2” also sees appearances from Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman, hits U.S. cinemas on June 26.

Reporting by Reuters Television in New York; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian in London; Editing by Alison Williams